Darkdawn
by Robyn2
Summary: She a space explorer daring, and cunning. He a pilot bitter, skilled, and known for his charm. Forced together by the hand of fate, they must overcome thier differences, to save not only their ship, but their way of life. 2xH
1. Prologue

AN: As if I didn't have enough on my plate I decided to start a new story. This idea kinda hit me in the middle of Geometry class. I will be working on this one between the other two I am currently working on. 

This story is going to be darker than the other stories that I have done and there will be more fighting. Like I said um…darker is the main word here. 

Duo will be more out of character than I have ever made him. Yes, he will be a pilot but he will be darker and colder more bitter than I have made him before.

Hilde on the other hand will be sure of herself and made at the world. Her character flaws will steam from either too much confidence or her anger. 

There of course will be your romance and your charming man in this as well plus character plots. So let me know what you think and ya.

I finally got a chapter of ED up for all those wondering and TY is my next project. 

~*~*~

Prologue

__

Year XX01

"The united galaxy has finally come to the agreement that under the circumstances it is in the best interest for the people in the galaxy to sign the peace treaty that so many lives have been lost to preserve and to give us a fighting chance to attain." The Reporter on TGN reported on a rainy day in the middle of spring. 

"This treaty is not just a turning point for the human race but for all races and we the people are going down in history able to say that we had a hand in performing this feat." He continued on oblivious to the char around him and the lives that had been lost. In fact judging by the cold look in his eyes-that he tried to hide with a cheesy smile- he really didn't care. But there were people who did everywhere and as they tuned in they all thought with that careless thought that most people give not thought to. Get him off the air or tell him to shut up we just want to know what's going on.

We never do though get our wish. Or at least most of us don't. Today was no different for the united galaxy people. To say the least they didn't get their wish. 

"This feat was accomplished by the wit of the supreme commanders and the skill of the pilots underneath them. We owe these brave men and women our thanks today as the 29 signatures that had been lacking are not placed side by side to each other. Thank you people for listening to this special broadcast this is Xavier Toman and TGN news. Signing off."

Reaching over a woman with dark hair shook her head a smirked at the man beside her. "Told you no one would credit the space units that found that damn planted to settle this in the first place."

"Did you really expect them to Hilde?" Mouth murmurs shaking his head, his long whips like hair trailing down his back. It was his species character mark like the humans had their beautiful eyes. 

"Uh they could have at least said, oh ya the space explores had some to do with this."

"Were nothing but a bunch of idiots remember? Its all those pilots who get the credit even though they have NEVER seen the damn planet." Tara Reif grumbles her own blond plate of cordhair curled charmingly around her head. "Besides the galaxy will never admit we could be anything but a bunch of idiots."

"Personally I like the anatomy." Mouth retorts with a smile at the women in front of him. "It gets ya into bars REAL easy like."

Smiling slightly at the quirk Hilde looked at her lieutenants while analyzing for the millionth time. They were both alien neither human, like most of her crew, and they were best friends. Had been for years and would continue to be for as long as Hilde would know them. Whether it be ten years or a hundred. They were also fiercely loyal to her and that amazed her at times. Never mind whether if she right or wrong the backed her. 

It was their friendship that amazed her the most. Tara was an Andromid one of the most feared races in the galaxy. They were faster than most people were and stronger than everyone else. They also looked the part. Most of the people were close to 6'5 as normal height and their features were that of a human only they were blue skinned and their eyes were like cats and were ALWAYS yellow.

Which is why Hilde had been so surprised when four years ago she had approached her and requested that she be allowed to join up with he crew. After Hilde had given her the okay, 3 months later, she had informed her that she would not join unless she took on Mouth as well.

Mouth was a Daymid, a people that closely resembled humans except their hair kinda fell around then in a whip like cloud and could be used as a weapon if it was needed though they preferred not to use it as such.

"Right." Tara murmurs rolling her eyes. 

"Come on you two." Hilde mumbles standing to her full 5'1 stature. "We need to leave and fast. I don't like this place and they are going to be handing out assignments tonight. If you want some down time I suggest we leave."

~~~

"Cold night isn't it sir?" A young man says as he walks Duo towards his apartment for the next month.   
"Yes, it is," '_In a good way though. This is the kind of night that bites you to the bone and makes you appreciate just being alive. Something we all need right now.'_

"Its biting my bones I fear. Well sir here is your room and your orders will arrive in the morning." With that the young page turned out the door and was gone before Duo could blink. Nodding to the thin air Duo calmly walked into the room.

"LIGHTS" He called out with his customary smirk as the lights flashed on. Yep, the alliance might not give a rat's rear about anything else but that damn treaty right now but they still had everything from voice codes to the cold furnishings they gave every pilot in place. Typical politicians since everyone else worked on greed they thought that they did to. 

Closing his eyes he sunk down onto this couch and shook his head as he thoughts turned over the last few days. It had been an ugly battle to get the last bit of information they needed and of course where there was war the pilots were called in. Duo and his group had been as well. Lives had been lost and trails had been taken that most people would rather not take. They had been lucky out of a squad of 12 they had only lost 5. It could have been worse. The only ones they had lost and been the new ones the rookies who had been so hopeful so young. Of course it wasn't like he was young or anything like that. In fact that was as far from the truth as you could get. Sometimes though people, they just didn't understand that. You never could count on anyone but your wingman and yourself. That was life for him and for everyone around him.

Maybe this new peace treaty would change that. Maybe it wouldn't you never could tell. Walking over to the furnished cabinet he downed a quick shot of scotch before moving onto the bigger harder stuff. 

Yes, he was trying to forget. He had a death tally going in his head. He couldn't escape that no one could. His crew at least had each other to talk to. He wouldn't impose on their celebration thought not tonight. They had asked him of course and a few of them had even joked about bringing it to his room that night. They wouldn't though. He knew that as well. 

Downing his glass full of liquor he closed his eyes against the burning. No he wouldn't party he wouldn't dance in celebration of the lives lost. Filling his glass up once more he moved over to the couch and lay down. No he would either drown his sorrows and his dreams or he would do nothing at all. Life was like that killing you or boring you. He would just take the later route tonight.


	2. Orders

AN: Chapter one is finally ready for viewing, I have been working between it and ED for a couple of days now and here it is.

There are really no warnings for this chapter, it is like the introductory chapters and brings some of the crew into the whole picture it also explains part of the plot line or basically what is going to start the plot. 

No, Hilde and Duo do not meet in this chapter but that is coming. I will get a chart of aliens up for you all in the next one or two updates so that you can see what I am talking about and you can make sure that all of them are categorized for you. As I will not be able to go into detail on each and every one of them, there are just too many. 

Thank you for your patience and here is the next installment of Darkdawn I hope that it meets your expectations.

Disclaimer: I do not own the Gundam Wing characters though I do own the aliens and the teams that come along with them. If you would like to borrow or use them email me. Like I said those are mine. I wish the others were but they are _not._

~*~*~

Chapter 1

Moving up and down Hilde could fell her stomach muscles flex as she continued her sit-ups. It was a constant rhythm up, and, down, up, and down. She hated the dang things but they did her stomach a world of good. It was something she had always hated in women, the fact that they felt that they looked good when they were soft and weak looking. It was a problem with human women especially who had been brought up to believe that men were bigger, badder, and stronger than they were, and then told that was how it was supposed to be. 

Hilde was not a feminist but she believed that women should stand up for themselves, and there was no way in hell that men would dominate her or any women around that she knew. If it took a gun in their face to back them up then by golly that gun was going in their face. That was all there was to it for her. 

Flexing her muscles Hilde rolled her head around to loosen it up. Looking over at her clothes, she blinked at the site of the wristwatch that was currently blinking in her bag of clothes next to the wall. Shrugging she walked over and picked it up before clicking the rapidly, beeping button. 

"Hilde, I know you're there, but since your not answering, I am leaving gonna have to leave you a message. Roberts, wants to see you, and at 05235 in his office. Tara, swears up and down that-that is at 5 so you had better get your booty done with whatever you are doing, and get back here. Uh, and while your at it could you bring me some of those minty things that you found the last time we were here? I can't find them and well…uh…ya." Mouth's, voice trailed off on the last few notes and she could practically here the smile in his voice, which caused her to grin back at him, even though she knew he couldn't see her. The grin died from her lips though when she thought about what that stupid ass Robert could want with them. 

Robert, was the head of the department of service of space explorers otherwise known as HDSSE or Heads Up, as the locals called it. He was also an idiot, and a bafoon, who couldn't hit his but with three hands. He was constantly putting explorers in mortal danger, because he thought it would be a good idea for them to go wherever he got it in his head to go. He was also one of the main reasons that the explorers got such a bad rep wherever they went.

The Pilots, were universally famed for their ability to get the job done for the amazing, flying skills, and they were dangerous very dangerous. Especially since the galaxy armed forces had started training their pilots in more than just skill-full piloting. 

An average pilot's work force was trained in subterfuge, assassination, peace methods, and much, much more. They also worked in-groups of 12 and their fame was spread on much they worked as a unit. Their wing pairs were often more famous than the entire group though every now and then you would find a group of pilots who could do the main job, with the whole group and be known for it. 

Explores were different, they took the hands on jobs and were got at it. They were better at demolition, and finding the stuff they wanted, and when they wanted it. They were skilled trackers, and hand to hand fighters, though very few of them would be caught dead in a pilot cockpit. They also had the ability to explore a planet safely, and carefully, and classify anything and everything on that planter. They were very, skilled botanists.

The animosity between the two groups was by now legendary. The explorers, would do the brunt of the work, and the pilots would show up for the last battle with blazing guns, and cocky attitudes to receive the awards, and the gratitude while the explorers got nothing but scorn. 

Of course none of the higher officials really helped that much either. Hilde mused while pulling on some clean clothes. They just let the rumors fly, and did nothing to clear it up. And if one of them did get an award they were dead. That was the gist of it. In fact they made fun of it so much that one of the explorer mottoes was. 'You want gold? Well use to engrave your gravestone.' 

Explorers took to giving their own badges. The captain, would award certain ones for certain things, and the badges to the explores, had universal meaning. Also the crew would give badges to their captains if they felt they deserved them. Basically it was their message telling the federation to screw off. 

Checking her watch she shook her head, she had twenty minutes to get over to headquarters. Running her fingers through her short hair she shook it, and it fell in waves around her face. Before grabbing her keys, and her bag, and taking off. 

"Commander." Hilde, says walking in the room with a short crisp nod towards him, once his attention shifted off of her towards the papers in front of her, she grinned brightly at the rest of the group. Some new faces some old friends sliding down into a seat next to Gray Mercer, captain of the Golden Hawk explores, she promptly questions the man from the corner of her mouth.

"What has the knuckle head got in store for us this time?"

"Lord only knows, but I have a few thoughts on this one." He whispers back, while leaning in and given her a smile. He was the only other human captain with any real say in anything the explores did. He and his team had in fact worked side by side with Hilde's on many occasions, and both groups had an immense respect for each other. 

Looking over, she grinned at the other non-human explorer captain's who were staring at the two of them. 

'Hey all,' she mouths, 'Jaxom, Screw, Trysta, Lliam.' She acknowledges all the ones she knows, before she smiles, at the ones she didn't know. A loud cough brought all their collective attention back to the front of the room.

"Now," Robert says in his high, winning voice. "I am sure you all are wondering why you all are here today."

Looking at them all, he holds his head up as if proud of the fact that he and he alone has information that could either be the death or the joy of the girls and guys present. All Hilde wanted to do was throw up.

"Now as I was saying, you all have heard the rumors about the new ship the Darkdawn, that is supposed to be biggest inter galactic human an non human peace keeping and traveling ship in the galaxy. We have called you all in because you are the best, of the best, of the best." Looking down at his papers, he missed the collective rolling of eyes, that the captains gave off and the hidden snickers, which their lieutenants hid behind their hands. 

"They have requested six teams of people to be on this ship and the rest of you shall be in the relief zone waiting, and if something should happen to any of the others you shall be called it, capish?"

"Did he just say capish?" Trysta demands her eyes wide with shock and horror. Leaning in she shakes her head her dark magenta eyes wide. "Hilde darling I would be ashamed to call him a human." 

Snickering slightly Hilde nods her head before returning her face back to its impassive expression. 

"We will draw lots to decide who will be going and who will not be going. So ladies and gentlemen please come forward and chose. Captain Hilde if you would be first please." 

With a slight smirk Hilde nods her head, her tanned hand reaching into the bowl and pulling out a slip of paper. Opening it she smiles slightly to herself when she sees the X on it. 

Showing it to the man in front of her she tries to act excited when he said that she, and her crew, were going to be on the ship.

Turning, back towards the rest of the crew, she rolled her eyes and made a whoop de do sign. She had heard plenty about this ship, and wasn't quite sure if she cared or not, if her crew was on board. 

Before long it was over. Trysta, Lliam, Screw, and Gray all made it as well, and one team that she had never heard of. Looking them over though she decided they were all right, and they were young, and fresh with open minds, and attitudes. It would be refreshing to have them aboard. They didn't get much new blood with everyone wanting to be pilots these days. 

"Your assignments will be handed to you aboard the ship, otherwise you are two be at the docking bay here one week from today at precisely 7 in the morning, do not be late or I am afraid it would look very badly for us." Nodding once again, he smiles. "You are dismissed."

Walking out quickly with the rest of the pilots, Hilde shakes her head. 

"He gets worse, and worse you know." Screw says, in his slightly off lit kilter that made up his voice. 

"You're telling me." Hilde grumbles, before smiling up at him. "Together again uh? But who are the newbies?"

"They are from out west." Lliam says, his exotic light, blue eyes, and gold colored hair glinting in the late afternoon sun. "I have worked with them. They are much like your group Hilde. Young, and brave, not afraid to take risks but they will not endanger themselves needlessly."

"Good," Gray says, nodding his head thoughtfully. The gray man was exactly as his name implied. His hair and his eyes were gray even though he was a young 30. "We need some more humans out there." Grinning at them, Hilde shook her head.

"Want to get a celebratory drink with the rest of us Hil? We are going to catch up on news and talk about old times." Trysta says, slinging an arm about the girl's shoulders with a smile.

"Naw, I am on my off time right now, besides I have to tell the others tonight. You know how they are, gotta be forewarned about everything, or they go lunatic on ya. And you don't want to see Tara, or Mouth in that mood."

"Points taken," Screw says, nodding his own thoughts headed towards the fearless duo. "Wish them luck, and we shall have to get a drink together some other time."

"Will do that," Hilde says laughing. " We shall have to break in the crew of Darkdawn of our drinking habits my friends." 

Laughing the friend's exchange hugs before heading off. Listing to them throw puns and jabs at each other Hilde chuckled, before heading off to tell her own crew of nine the news. They would go nuts if she didn't tell them tonight what was going on. She hadn't been kidding at all. They had gone cosmic on her once before for such a thing. Smirking at the thought, of them chewing the entire base down for not telling them what was going on, she continued on her way back to her quarters. This was going to be one of those long nights; of course she wouldn't have it any other way. 

~*~*~

"Women are supposed to be Gods gift to men." Mick Eloway slurs his body revolting in it's drunken like state. His normally cool exterior barely up and his eyes were glossed over from the excess alcohol that he had managed to inhale before his wing mate had been able to stop him.

'_Of course it wouldn't have helped him much even if we had been able to get there first.' _Duo thought callously to himself. '_The man would have been to far gone anyway.'_

'He aches'; His wing mate Anna replies coolly her mental tone reproachful as she glared at him over the limp body of Mick. '_She hurt him.'_

If she had been human, and had talked with a normal mouth, he figured she would be pursing her lips at him with reproach. Luckily though Slyneth's didn't have that ability, of course then again she probably knew what she was talking about, bonded to Mick as she was. For Slyneth's had to have a wing mate to fly, or no one would know what was going on inside that fool brain cockpit of theirs.

"I know," He replies more out loud for his benefit that hers. She could hear anyone who was trying to speak to her mentally no matter how far away he or she was. It posed its problems, but it also had its advantages. He, as leader of her squadron, had no complaints, as long as no one else complained of more voices in the back of their heads than they were used to. 

Spotting the nearby apartment that belonged to the two wing mates he nearly growled with relief. It wasn't that he was complaining about the man's weight. The kid was way to far underweight as it was, and he Duo Maxwell was in perfect shape, but you could only drag one drunk 18 year old through allies for so long, before your muscles started to scream in protest. His were screaming rather loudly by now.

"Here you go Anna." He says dropping the kid on the swing in front of the door, much to the relief of his muscles. 

'_Thank you sir, and go home and get some rest you look like you could use it.'_ Nodding her head once more in thanks, she took herself off towards her own room. 

Watching her shut the door behind her; he looked at the still drunken man in front of the house and shrugged. If she wanted him to spend the night outside as his punishment when he was dead drunk, that was her thing. He wasn't going to get involved, besides Anna would take him apart if he did. She had that ability, and getting thrown in the brig really had no effect on her. 

And if Trim had been right, then they would be getting their new orders soon, and he would be back to the big bad wolf of a fighter pilot who everyone else adored, and treated like royalty.

Turning sharply at the corner he headed in the direction of his own apartment to find his own rest. The most at least he would do was going to lay down, sleep on the other hand was far from his mind. Anna had not been kidding when she said that he needed sleep. He had not been sleeping well for days. They had lost another rookie last week, and like all the others his death played heavily on his conscience. 

It wasn't that they didn't get the best training available to anyone man or women, because they did. The alliance was very thorough in that area at least. Somehow though they always managed to loose at least one, and the death tolls never left his mind. Every last single one of them he could see, and hear right before they meet their end. Of course there were more reasons to why they were losing their rookies than just lack of battle experience.

Cockiness and overconfidence would get you in a heartbeat up there. The rest of the team knew when to act and when to talk, but that was something that could not be taught to the rest of the group, you had to learn it with experience, only that experience was hard fought to win. Which was why so many of his people were dying, and he knew it. Only he didn't know how to correct the problem some how there had to be a way.

Blinking thoughtfully, he realized that he had once again spaced out and walked himself back to his apartment without noting were he was going.

__

Better stop doing that old man or your end up walking off a cliff someday. 

"Open." He ordered the door hoping that the voice activated mechanisms had been activated today. They had been saying that they would for a few days now, and he was ready to stop carrying those annoying keys. 

Luckily though, much to his surprise, the doors did in fact open. And just as surprising, there was a little white box on the desk. Letting the heavy jacket that pilots were given at the beginning of their roles, he walked easily over to the table to examine the thing. 

It was as all boxes go a box, running his fingers along the edges he shook his head, and smiled. The alliance really did need to get more creative. Finding the button on the side he pushed down and set the contraption down as the top slide open. Taking the lid off, he smirked, at the sight of the tiny disk inside, before moving to the TV, and the disk player. Sliding it inside he hit the play button; before setting himself down for the orders that he knew were coming. Sometimes people were just a little too easy to predict. 

At the site of the Lord Marshal his scowl deepened. Whenever that particular man came on his screen it normally meant that they were going away for a while. This was going to piss the rest of his team off, as they had just gotten back from an assignment that had kept them out of home territory for close to a year.

"Duo," the lord marshal's voice rang out, in a cold imitation of a real voice, as he had lost his voice box many years ago in a battle outside the moons of icor. "I know that you just got in, but this is an opportunity that we simple can not pass up."

"The Darkdawn, as you know is the alliances new project. Well they have finally finished with the blasted ship, and they are setting up there crew. As you well know only the best are being asked to get on that ship. You and your squadron have been personally requested by the alliance to be part of that crew. You _will_ be going Duo, and be taking your whole crew with you." 

"The ship leaves on Monday, 7 A.M, do not be late. I don't want anything that will look bad on your record to start the trip out. Also try to control that group of ruffians that you call pilots this trip." 

"That will be all and remember 7, on Monday, I will inform you of your orders once you reach the ship." 

Just as quickly as he showed his face, the Lord Marshall's face was gone. Growling low in his throat he shook his head, looking at he clock he decided to wait to call the team until the morning. It was already late and some of them needed as much sleep as they could manage. 

You didn't get much sleep on duty, and even then the 13-hour shifts that they had undertaken on the last assignment, had left no time for socializing. He would shatter their hope for rest later. Right now he himself was going to get some much-needed sleep. He would deal with them tomorrow. 

~~~

Closing his eyes he wished-not for the first time- that he was anywhere but here. 

"What do you mean we have to leave?" Tina the tiny spitfire of a pilot who was one of his wing commanders-and one of the three humans on crew-demands her brown eyes flashing anger.

"We have been given assignment on the Darkdawn and we leave, Monday, at 7." Duo repeats patiently, he had been expecting this type of anger from them, which was why he had given himself the extra time to decide how to break it to them.

"We just got back in!" The tall angel like creature in the back of the room named Chris says, anger in his usually emotionless voice. "They can not just send us out like this."

"_They can and just did."_ Anna mentally chides them all. _"This is an honor, and even though it cuts into our down time, we should be happy to be chosen."_ Seeing their rebellious glares, she smiles at them, to belay her words. "_I am not happy about this either, but some things must be. Besides this assignment should not be like the last, from what I can gather. Every team in the galaxy is trying to get on it, because it will be so relaxing. The main people doing the work are those that we will be protecting. Relax they might even let you head home on a few occasions."_

Catching Mick's eye he smiles at the young man, who was following Anna's words with his own amusement shinning in his eyes. The girl really had a way of calming everyone down. 

"Anna is right." He says when she had finished speaking to them. "This should be a good opportunity for all of us. We should be honored."

Reluctantly sighing, the others nodded; there really was no point in arguing with the officials when they got in this mood anyway.

"Well, when you put it like that, there is only really one thing we can do." Tina grumbles her expression still rebellious, but the light in her eyes was turning mischievous. 

"And that would be?" 

"Party until we drop, until then." Her expression full of glee, she nods her head with a smile. "And make a few officials wish that they had never ever heard of us." Smirking she jumps up, and grabs the tall alien named Chata, by the door. 

Looking down at her, his grey eyes silently laugh, before he nods, and blinks his many facetted eyes. 

"We, go now," he says shortly, "See you in one week."

Looking at the rest of the crew's faces he shakes his head. 

"Go," He says waving his hands in a dismissing gesture. "I will see you all in 5 days, report in before Monday would ya. And no one forget anything this time, I don't think I can convince them to stop for us like we did the last time."

The sound of laughter followed them all out the door, and Duo managed a smile before he was left alone, with the stillness of the room. 

He would see them all in one week, and he would have much work to do before then. Like get to know his new trainees. This time he was picking them, if they were going to get killed by God it was not going to be because they were stupid. It was because there had been no other option for them to take. 

Looking around the empty room once more, he grabbed the few papers that he brought with him, before he to left them room. It was time to chase their dream, once again.

~~~

AN: kindly leave your contributions in the box please!


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